This system admin used VPN to hack into and cause $1.1 million loss to his ex-employer before being caught

After being fired, this sys-admin used VPN to hack and plant his own software and cause a $1.1 million loss to his employer

Getting a pink slip is a bad news for anybody. Some take it in the stride while others take to Twitter and Facebook to rant about it. Very few are likely to go to an extreme and cause loss to their ex-employer. Brian Johnson, 44, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, US is one such system admin who didn’t lightly to his employer sacking him and decided to make a big mess of it before being caught and landing in prison for 34 months.

The Register reports that Johnson was working in a paper making factory called Georgia-Pacific for several years. On the fateful Valentine’s Day of 2014, the company decided to fire him. Johnson did not take the company’s decision in the right spirit and decided to get even with it.

Johnson hacked into Georgia-Pacific servers using VPN once his employment was terminated. Once back inside the corporate network, he installed his own software and targeted the paper factory’s Port Hudson branch, which produces paper towels and tissues 24 hours a day. Johnson caused a $1.1 million loss to Georgia-Pacific during his two-week hacking campaign.

Johnson’s vendetta was going well but somehow raised eyebrows at Georgia-Pacific who called in FBI to investigate into the matter. After a detailed investigation, FBI raided Johnson’s home exactly thirteen days after he was fired. They seized a laptop in which they found a VPN connection which Johnson used to log into company’s servers. Further investigation of Johnson’s laptop and his broadband router got FBI enough evidence to bust him.

Johnson pleaded guilty to hacking and willful damage charges last year. On Wednesday, a Louisiana district court judge sentenced Johnson 34 months in prison. Johnson was also penalized $1,134,828 for damages to his employer, which he must repay over and above the prison term.